Climate Change Projections for Stroke Incidence in Taiwan: Impact of 2 °C and 4 °C Global Warming Level.

Objectives: This study aimed to establish the exposure-lag-response effect between daily maximum temperature and stroke-related emergency department visits and to project heat-induced stroke impacts under global warming levels (GWL) of 2 °C and 4 °C.

Methods: Stroke-related emergency department visits in Taiwan from 2001 to 2020 were identified using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). The study population consisted of 1,100,074 initial stroke cases matched with 2,200,148 non-stroke controls.

Assessing the impact of specific PM-Bound metallic elements on asthma emergency department visits: A case-crossover study in Taiwan.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the specific PM-bound metallic elements that contribute to asthma emergency department visits by using a case-crossover study design.

Methods: This study analyzed data from 11,410 asthma emergency department visits as case group and 22,820 non-asthma onset dates occurring one week and two weeks preceding the case day as controls from 2017 to 2020. PM monitoring data and 35 PM.

Assessing the effectiveness of mitigating pesticide-related disease risk among pesticide-spraying drone operators in Taiwan.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk of pesticide poisoning, liver and renal failure, dermatitis, respiratory problems, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, keratitis, and epilepsy among pesticide-spraying personnel and to assess the effectiveness of a new method of aerial pesticide application in reducing this risk.

Methods: A total of 2268 pesticide spraying operators (1651 ground-based field crop operators and 617 aerial pesticide spraying drone operators) who passed the national certification examination between 2010 and 2020 in Taiwan were included. Ground-based operators served as the positive control group, while 2463 farmer controls were matched from the Farmers' Health Insurance database as the negative control group.

Polycystic kidney disease increases the stoke incidence in Taiwan: A retrospective population-based cohort study using National Health Insurance Database.

Background: Few studies documented incidence rates of different types of stroke among patients with polycystic kidney disease (PKD).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study based on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Database of Taiwan. The PKD cohort comprised patients aged≥20 years diagnosed with PKD using inpatient claims from 1998 to 2011, excluding prior stroke.

Increased Risk of Gastric Cancer in Asbestos-Exposed Workers: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on Taiwan Cancer Registry 1980-2015.

Asbestos has been recognized as a human carcinogen associated with malignant mesothelioma, cancers of lung, larynx, and ovary. However, a putative association between gastric cancer and asbestos exposure remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to explore gastric cancer risk of workers potentially exposed to asbestos in Taiwan.

Clustering of malignant pleural mesothelioma in asbestos factories: a subgroup analysis in a 29-year follow-up study to identify high-risk industries in Taiwan.

Objective: Exposure to asbestos is the major cause for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), but the causal link of individual cases is difficult to establish for lack of exposure information and long disease latency.

Methods: We established a retrospective cohort of workers employed in asbestos industries during the period of 1950-1989 and the occurrence of MPM during the period of 1980-2009 was examined with the Taiwan Cancer Registry. Estimated rate ratios (eRRs) were computed for each factory where any case of MPM was diagnosed by assuming Poisson distribution with a minimal latency of 20 years.

Upcoming epidemic of asbestos-related malignant pleural mesothelioma in Taiwan: A prediction of incidence in the next 30 years.

Background/purpose: Globally, asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) keep rising over the coming decades. The epidemic of ARDs will be a burden on public health. We aimed to predict the malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) incidence in the next 30 years for Taiwan based on historical asbestos consumption.

Estimating quality weights for EQ-5D (EuroQol-5 dimensions) health states with the time trade-off method in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: EQ-5D (EuroQol-5 dimensions) is a preference-based measure of health, which is widely used in cost-utility analyses. It has been suggested that each country should develop its own value set. We therefore sought to develop the quality weights of the EQ-5D health states with the time trade-off (TTO) method in Taiwan.

Monascin improves diabetes and dyslipidemia by regulating PPARγ and inhibiting lipogenesis in fructose-rich diet-induced C57BL/6 mice.

Monascin (MS) is a yellow compound isolated from Monascus-fermented products that has pancreatic protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and hypolipidemic activity. We recently found that MS also acts as a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) agonist, thereby promoting insulin sensitivity in C2C12 cells. However, the attenuation of hyperglycemia by MS treatment in vivo remains uncertain.

Lifetime costs for peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis in patients in Taiwan.

Background: This study compared the lifetime costs for peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients in Taiwan.

Methods: Using the National Health Insurance (NHI) database of all end-stage renal disease patients on maintenance dialysis registered from July 1997 to December 2005, we matched eligible PD patients with eligible HD patients on age, sex, and diabetes status. The matched patients were followed until 31 December 2006.

Exposure to multiple low-level chemicals in relation to reproductive hormones in premenopausal women involved in liquid crystal display manufacture.

Background: Liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing involves three fabrication processes: array, panel and module processes, which result in different levels of volatile organic compound (VOC) exposure. The aim of this study was to assess the potential reproductive endocrine effects of occupational exposures during LCD manufacturing predictive of menstrual cycles as subclinical markers of female reproductive dysfunction effects of low-dose exposures.

Methods: A total of 94 fabrication workers were followed for one complete menstrual cycle using daily urine samples: 23 were from the array, 53 from the panel, and 18 from the module work areas.

Estimation of expected life-years saved from successful prevention of end-stage renal disease in elderly patients with diabetes: a nationwide study from Taiwan.

Objective: Because of the increasing incidence and prevalence of diabetes as a leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the aging population, we estimated the expected life-years (LYs) saved from successful prevention of ESRD in elderly patients with diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study using the National Health Insurance Research Database. We identified all incidences of ESRD in the individuals >65 years of age who were receiving maintenance hemodialysis (N = 24,243) from the registry files of catastrophic illnesses in Taiwan from 1 July 1997 to 31 December 2005.

Estimation of benefit of prevention of occupational cancer for comparative risk assessment: methods and examples.

Objectives: To quantify the life years gained and financial savings by preventing a case of occupational cancer.

Methods: The authors retrieved data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry and linked them with the National Mortality Registry to estimate the survival functions for major occupational cancers: lung, pleural mesothelioma, urinary bladder and leukaemia. Assuming a constant excess hazard for each type of cancer, the authors extrapolated lifetime survival functions by the Monte Carlo method.

Estimation of life expectancies and loss-of-life expectancies for workers with permanent occupational disabilities of the extremities--a 21-year follow-up study.

Objectives: This study aims to estimate the life expectancies and loss-of-life expectancies of workers with permanent occupational disabilities of the upper and lower limbs in Taiwan.

Methods: We collected all cases of permanent occupational disability in the upper and lower limbs from the Bureau of Labor Insurance database of compensation claims between 1986-2006; these data were linked with the national mortality registry to obtain a survival function. Workers were divided into eight groups according to their injury types, three of which fulfilled the condition of constant excess hazard and the survival functions were extrapolated to 50 years using a semi-parametric method.

Health impact of pneumoconiosis in Mongolia: estimation of losses in life expectancy and quality adjusted life expectancy.

Objective: To estimate the life expectancy (LE), quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE), and their losses, in patients with pneumoconiosis in Mongolia.

Methods And Materials: All patients (n = 432) diagnosed with occupational pneumoconiosis during 1986-2006 were recruited from the registry of the National Research Center of Occupational Diseases, which was linked to the National Mortality Registry of Mongolia to obtain the survival function. We simulated age and gender matched referents group based on the life table in 2000.

Comparison of the quality of life between patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and healthy controls.

Purpose: We explored covariates of the quality of life (QOL) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and made a comparison with healthy controls.

Methods: We assessed the QOL of 220 consecutive NSCLC patients at a university hospital. The QOL data were measured by the brief version of the World Health Organization's Quality of Life and by utility using the standard gamble method.

Mortality from liver cancer and leukaemia among polyvinyl chloride workers in Taiwan: an updated study.

Objectives: To investigate types of cancer caused by occupational exposure to vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and the temporal mortality trends of these cancers in workers from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufacturing factories in Taiwan, with follow-up of the cohort extended by 15 years, from 1980 to 2007. Methods A retrospective cohort study of workers from six PVC factories in Taiwan was conducted. 3336 male PVC workers were enrolled and further linked with the National Mortality Registry and National Household Registry databases.

Working the night shift causes increased vascular stress and delayed recovery in young women.

Shiftwork has been associated with elevated blood pressure (BP) and decreased heart-rate variability (HRV), factors that may increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular-related mortality and morbidity. This study explored the effect of shiftwork on dynamic changes in autonomic control of HRV (cardiac stress), systolic BP and diastolic BP, i.e.

Life expectancy, expected years of life lost and survival of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: Expected years of life lost (EYLL) in dialysis patients are rarely discussed. This study compared life expectancy, EYLL and survival between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

Methods: Adults who underwent maintenance dialysis at National Taiwan University Hospital from 1995 to 2006 were followed up until December 2007.

Increased mortality risk for workers with a compensated, permanent occupational disability of the upper or lower extremities: a 21-year follow-up study.

This 1986-2006 study sought to determine whether specific causes led to increased mortality risks for Taiwanese workers with an approved compensation claim for permanent occupational disability (ACCPOD) of the upper or lower extremities. All cases of ACCPOD between 1986 and 2006 were collected from the database of compensation claims at the Bureau of Labor Insurance. Standardized mortality ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for different causes of death among workers with an ACCPOD of the upper or lower extremities.

An estimation of the health impact of groundwater pollution caused by dumping of chlorinated solvents.

Background: Hazardous waste sites are major environmental concerns, but few studies have quantified their expected utility loss on health.

Objectives: To evaluate the health impact of groundwater pollution by an electronics manufacturing factory, we conducted a health risk assessment based on expected utility loss from liver cancer.

Methods: Based on measurements of major pollutants, we estimated the likelihood of developing liver cancer after exposure to groundwater contamination.

Impact of malignant mesothelioma in Taiwan: a 27-year review of population-based cancer registry data.

Purpose: To describe the epidemiologic characteristics of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in Taiwan; to evaluate the impact of the condition.

Methods: The Taiwan Cancer Registry Database was used to retrieve the cases of MM registered from 1979 to 2005. Only cases of histopathologically verified MM were included.

Cross-validation of the Taiwan version of the Moorehead-Ardelt Quality of Life Questionnaire II with WHOQOL and SF-36.

Background: Obesity has become a major worldwide public health issue. There is a need for tools to measure patient-reported outcomes. The Moorehead-Ardelt Quality of Life Questionnaire II (MA II) contains six items.